“I have MANIFESTED (phaneroō: to be clearly recognized) Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and THEY HAVE KEPT YOUR WORD…I have given to them THE WORDS which You have given Me; and THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEM, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and THEY HAVE BELIEVED that You sent Me.” (John 17:6-8)
JESUS IS REPORTING TO THE FATHER:
- I HAVE MANIFESTED YOUR NAME: These men have clearly recognized who YOU are Father and the importance of knowing your name.
- THEY HAVE KEPT YOUR WORD: Kept, (tēreō: to guard from loss) This means they have heard, and seen what Jesus had manifested to them, and revealed to them about God and they believed to the point of doing their best to follow the teachings of Jesus
- THEY HAVE RECEIVED YOUR WORD: In other words, they listened and they did not reject His Words but accepted them.
- THEY HAVE BELIEVED YOUR WORD: Jesus did not teach that being a true disciple was a later stage after simple belief. No. He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” Now that you have believed, here is how you can know what you now are. You can know IF YOUR BELIEF IS REAL: by how you live the Word, then Jesus says, you are now my true disciples if you go on ABIDING (lasting through time) IN MY WORD.
-Bill Stockham